Popular Indian fashion designer Ritu Beri has launched the country's most expensive book, retailing for 100,000 rupees (US$2,220) a copy.

Firefly - A Fairytale is based on Beri's personal experiences with one chapter set in Paris, where she earned international acclaim in the fashion world seven years ago.

"I have invested my hard-earned money in it after a prominent publisher opted out," Beri told The Pioneer newspaper in an interview published Tuesday, explaining the book's high price.

She promised to reprint it at a more affordable cost if the first 100 copies sell out. "This is not my autobiography. It just talks about my journey until now," Beri told the Hindustan Times.

Beri captured the limelight after she made her Paris couture debut with western ready-to-wear designs.

(www.canada.com)